Abstract: A sonic grade control device for maintaining a leveling instrument of a paver at a constant distance from a datum. The device transmits and receives a sonic signal to provide first and second time periods corresponding to the round trip travel time of a sonic signal to the datum and a target, respectively. A distance indicating signal, corresponding to the distance between the control device and the datum, is provided in response to the first and second time periods and a stored target distance, such target distance corresponding to the distance between the control device and the target. The grade control device includes an operator actuable control for modifying the stored target distance to calibrate the control device. A reference signal is compared to the distance indicating signal to provide a control signal. The reference signal is adjustable by a predetermined increment and the control device includes an operator actuable control for modifying the predetermined increment.

Abstract: A material transfer machine includes a slat conveyor of substantially the width of a feed hopper of a paving machine. The slat conveyor is supported by caster wheels to be disposed at an incline having a material intake end at a lower end thereof and a discharge end at the opposite upper end of the conveyor. The slat conveyor is mounted to a leading edge of the paving machine such that the upper discharge end is disposed above the feed hopper of the paving machine. A hopper is disposed ahead of the lower intake end of the slat conveyor, supported by a frame which is pivotably attached at a rear end thereof along the sides of the slat conveyor to an understructure thereof. The front end of the frame is supported by caster wheels, such that the frame is capable of joint movement with the conveyor and the paving machine while supporting pivotal movement in a vertical plane in response to grade changes of a base grade.

Abstract: A soil decontamination apparatus is based on a heating operation performed on soil to be contaminated to vaporize and burn off hydrocarbons. The soil is fed into a drum drier at a constant rate which is related to the moisture contents in the soil and the energy available from the burner of the drum drier. Soil particles in the form of dust which become entrained in the hot gases which are used in the decontamination process are removed from the gas stream and are recombined with the base material of the soil in a region of the drum drier which is substantially devoid of gas flow. The substantially calm atmosphere in the region of the drum drier in which the recombination takes place permits the fines to be mixed with the base material without the fines again being carried off by gaseous movement. A soil reconditioning is provided for in an isolated third zone of the drum drier.

Abstract: A turbo burner assembly provides for dispersion of liquid fuel into a flame region adjacent a burner head of the assembly by using compressed air to force a fine spray through apertures in an atomizing assembly. The dispersed fuel is supplied at a variable rate that corresponds to the combustion settings of the burner over the entire operating range of the burner. The dispersed fuel becomes entrained into a low quantity flow of high velocity turbo air. The quantity or rate of flow of the high velocity turbo air corresponds to the combustion air required for the correct air to fuel mixture at the lowest fuel flow rate. At increasing fuel flow rates for increased combustion settings a second low velocity stream of turbo air is introduced at a variable volume flow rate to provide together with the first stream of turbo air a correct combustion mixture with the introduced fuel over the entire range of combustion settings of the burner assembly. A gaseous fuel can be substituted for the liquid fuel.

Abstract: An asphalt drum drying and mixing plant capable of using recycled pavement aggregate material includes two interacting drums, each being heated to different temperatures. A first drum is a parallel flow drying and mixing drum. The recycled material is introduced at the intake or feed end of this first drum and dried and heated to a comparatively low temperature in a first region of the first drum. A burner of relatively lower heat generation capacity furnishes heated gases. The recycled material is protected by supplying the gases through a cylindrical combustion chamber within which the fuel is completely burned such that no luminous gases enter the drum and contact the recycled material. A second, adjacent region of the parallel flow drum is the mixing region. The recycled material is transferred to the mixing region with close control over the temperature at which the material enters the mixing region.

Abstract: A material transfer machine includes a slat conveyor of substantially the width of a feed hopper of a paving machine. The slat conveyor is supported by caster wheels to be disposed at an incline having a material intake end at a lower end thereof and a discharge end at the opposite upper end of the conveyor. The slat conveyor is mounted to a leading edge of the paving machine such that the upper discharge end is disposed above the feed hopper of the paving machine. A hopper is disposed ahead of the lower intake end of the slat conveyor, supported by a frame which is pivotably attached at a rear end thereof along the sides of the slat conveyor to an understructure thereof. The front end of the frame is supported by caster wheels, such that the frame is capable of joint movement with the conveyor and the paving machine while supporting pivotal movement in a vertical plane in response to grande changes of a base grade.

Abstract: An asphalt drum drying and mixing plant capable of using recycled pavement aggregate material includes two interacting drums, each being heated to different temperatures. A first drum is a parallel flow drying and mixing drum. The recycled material is introduced at the intake or feed end of this first drum and dried and heated to a comparatively low temperature in a first region of the first drum. A burner of relatively lower heat generation capacity furnishes heated gases. The recycled material is protected by supplying the gases through a cylindrical combustion chamber within which the fuel is completely burned such that no luminous gases enter the drum and contact the recycled material. A second, adjacent region of the parallel flow drum is the mixing region. The recycled material is transferred to the mixing region with the close control over the temperature at which the material enters the mixing region.

Abstract: An improvement to a drum drying and mixing apparatus includes a baffle plate arrangement is supported externally of the drum adjacent one end thereof and is inserted longitudinally from that one end into the drum. Baffle plates of the arrangement are disposed in the veil of materials in a drying section of the apparatus. Pivoting the baffle plates about an axis substantially transverse to the direction of the falling material in the veil modifies the veil to create a channel substantially void of material through at least portions of the veil. Hot drying gases moving longitudinally through the veil encounter a reduced resistance to the flow in the channel and divert from movement through the falling materials in the veil to move through the channel within the region of the veil. As a result the heat transfer from the drying gases to the aggregate materials is reduced and the final temperature of the hot drying gases exiting from the drum increases.

Abstract: A push roll assembly mounted to a material receiving apparatus, such as a paver or other material receiving machine, includes a resilient link which allows energy transferred during contact of a supply truck with the push rolls to be gradually transferred to the material receiving machine, to thereby smoothen the impact between such truck and the machine.

Abstract: A continuous process aggregate drying and mixing plant for producing a hot asphaltic material, such as is used for paving highways or the like, includes a combination of a drum drier and a pugmill. Both the drum drier and the pugmill are supported by a common trailer frame. The pugmill is coextensively mounted at the discharge end of the drum drier towards the rear of the frame. The drum drier discharges dried and heated virgin aggregate material through a feed and transfer chute directly into a first, pre-mix region of the pugmill. The feed and transfer chute also provides for the addition of recycled pavement to the heated and dried aggregate and for the side discharge of such heated and dried aggregate. A second region of the pugmill within which liquid asphalt is added to the mixed aggregate is substantially separated from the first, pre-mix region. The space above the second region of the pugmill is substantially enclosed and coupled directly to a secondary air supply of a burner for the drum drier.

Abstract: A paver of the floating screed type which is capable of operating with screed extensions for laying down pavement at various widths includes a self-contained, stowable and extensible grade reference system with a wide, planar adjustment range. The grade reference system provides an adjustment range for positioning a grade sensing device on either or both sides of the paver both forward and transversely outward from a selected support point on the paver. The grade reference system has a pivotally outer support member which permits the sensing device to become positioned at any selected setting of an arcuate path forward of a rearward position in substantial alignment with the leading edge of the screed to a forward position determined by the length of the member.

Abstract: A continuous process aggregate drying and mixing plant for producing a hot asphaltic material, such as is used for paving highways or the like, includes a combination of a drum drier and a pugmill. Both the drum drier and the pugmill are supported by a common trailer frame. The pugmill is coextensively mounted at the discharge end of the drum drier towards the rear of the frame. The drum drier discharges dried and heated virgin aggregate material through a feed and transfer chute directly into a first, pre-mix region of the pugmill. The feed and transfer chute also provides for the addition of recycled pavement to the heated and dried aggregate and for the side discharge of such heated and dried aggregate. A second region of the pugmill within which liquid asphalt is added to the mixed aggregate is substantially separated from the first, pre-mix region. The space above the second region of the pugmill is substantially enclosed and coupled directly to a secondary air supply of a burner for the drum drier.

Abstract: A reverse flow post-mixer attachment for direct-fixed asphaltic concrete mixers includes a modified discharge box for the downstream end of the drum and an enclosure for the downstream portion of the drum forming a passage along the exterior of the drum. If the smoke point of the liquid asphalt to be added to the material in the drum meets an established standard it is injected into the material upstream of the downstream end of the drum and discharged from the latter end in the normal manner. If the smoke point of the asphalt does not meet the standard, the material exiting the drum is diverted into the passage along the exterior of the drum and the asphalt added there out of the burner stream in the durm. The material and asphalt are then mixed and moved through the passage and finally discharged.

Abstract: An ultrasonic grade and auger control for use on a road paving machine to compensate for uneven road surfaces is described. As the road paving machine travels, asphalt is centrally deposited along the road bed. An auger is connected to the back of the road paving machine and contains a series of spiral blades which moves the asphalt away from the center of the road bed toward its outer edges. The ultrasonic auger control apparatus detects the height of the asphalt positioned at the outer edges of the paving machine and regulates the speed of the auger to provide even distribution of the asphalt. A screed is located behind the auger to uniformly place and pack the paving material. The ultrasonic grade control apparatus regulates hydraulic actuators which control the thickness of the new road surface by adjusting the height of the screed.

Abstract: A reverse flow post-mixer attachment for direct-fixed asphaltic concrete mixers includes a modified discharge box for the downstream end of the drum and an enclosure for the downstream portion of the drum forming a passage along the exterior of the drum. If the smoke point of the liquid asphalt to be added to the material in the drum meets an established standard it is injected into the material upstream of the downstream end of the drum and discharged from the latter end in the normal manner. If the smoke point of the asphalt does not meet the standard, the material exiting the drum is diverted into the passage along the exterior of the drum and the asphalt added there out of the burner stream in the drum. The material and asphalt are then mixed and moved through the passage and finally discharged.

Abstract: An improved "3-point" suspension for a bituminous paver disposes two of the suspension "points" at the front of the tractor unit and the third "point" at the rear. Preferably the third suspension "point" is achieved by suspending the rear of the tractor unit via laterally spaced hydraulic cylinders interconnected such that upward or downward movement of one rear wheel or track results in corresponding downward or upward movement of the other rear wheel or track. The hydraulic suspension also allows the height of the rear of the tractor unit, and thus the height of the spreader screws relative to the ground, to be adjusted on the run by conjoint upward or downward movement of both rear wheels or tracks.

Abstract: An adapter to permit an oil burner head to burn pulverized coal alone or in combination with other fuels features a manifold in the form of a mirrored pair of scrolls forming a part of the burner head. The interiors of the scrolls are divided into separate coal and air passages which open into the primary air passage of the burner head through outlets uniformly circularly disposed thereabout.

Abstract: An extensible screed assembly for a bituminous paver incorporates a pair of screed extensions which are movable laterally outwards of the paver in order to pave roadway widths greater than that of the main screed. The screed extensions feature means by which the attack angle of each extension can be adjusted relative to the attack angle of the main screed and by which the alignment of each extension can also be adjusted relative to that of the main screed.

Abstract: A liquid fuel burner head features an axially movable primary air assembly carrying a centrally disposed nozzle spraying fuel radially of the burner head. Primary air ports surround the nozzle and include means for progressively increasing swirl of the primary air as radial distance from the nozzle increases and for adjusting the location of flame origin. Metering of secondary air and adjustment of its direction of swirl are both accomplished rearward of the secondary air outlet, the primary air assembly moving rearwardly to increase the secondary air as firing rate rises. A simple metal, frusto-conical flame holder is secured to and spaced forwardly of the burner head.

Abstract: A portable asphalt storage silo includes a wheeled frame carrying a bin and a conveyor. During travel the bin is disposed in a lower position and the conveyor in a horizontal position overlying the bin. Two pairs of struts, a roller serving as a fulcrum, and two winch and cable systems conjointly elevate first the discharge end of the conveyor to an intermediate raised position and then the latter end and the bin to a final elevated position such that material can be carried up from ground level and discharged into the bin for storage.